Methods, apparatus and systems for cleaning carpet and other fabrics are well known in the prior art. It is believed, however, that the methods, apparatus and system disclosed and claimed herein, and particularly the fabric diagnostic, cleaning and preservation aspects of the present invention, are not anticipated by any of the prior art, when taken singly or properly combined.
The following prior art reflects the state of the art of which applicant is aware and is included herewith to discharge applicant's acknowledged duty to disclose relevant prior art. It is stipulated, however, that none of these references teach singly nor render obvious when considered in any conceivable combination the nexus of the instant invention as disclosed in greater detail hereinafter and as particularly claimed.
______________________________________ U.S. PAT. NO. ISSUE DATE INVENTOR ______________________________________ 3,728,075 April 17, 1973 Cannan 3,871,051 March 18, 1975 Collier 4,063,961 December 20, 1977 Howard, et al. 4,109,340 August 29, 1978 Bates 4,244,079 January 13, 1981 Bane 4,284,127 August 18, 1981 Collier, et al. 4,321,095 March 23, 1982 Argo, et al. 4,353,145 October 12, 1982 Woodford 4,595,420 June 17, 1986 Williams, III, et al. 5,147,467 September 15, 1992 Virtue ______________________________________
Argo, et al.'s patent teaches the use of barbed plastic bristles or fingers overlying carpet with terrycloth interposed therebetween. This arrangement causes the fingers to penetrate into the carpet tending to permanently distort the carpet.
Howard, et al. first agitates the carpet and subsequently vacuums debris. Applicant, by contrast, concurrently brushes the pile upwardly and vacuums while sensing particle density. This makes more efficient and objective the initial carpet cleaning and grooming. Further, Howard, et al. requires the cleaning agent to dry and become crystalline prior to final vacuuming. This strategy results in a slow process to wait for drying and encourages residual buildup of cleaning agents which assures the cleaning agent remaining will be a dirt attractant. The effect is to have the carpet become resoiled very quickly.
Cannan's cleaning device tends to swirl the dirt. Once the pad has become saturated, the dirt is merely circulated.
The remaining citations diverge more starkly from the instant invention.